Alternative explanations

These are other, sometimes neglected, competing explanations for the phenomenon under consideration.

It is tempting in many situations to believe that if a given explanation is consistent with the information we have, that it is therefore the correct explanation of the phenomenon.

Should we have a stake in or favour a particular explanation we would like to be true, we will be more likely to disregard or neglect plausible alternatives capable of accounting for the phenomenon.

That crop circles may seem to be something quite profound and compelling must not prevent us from giving careful consideration to the explanation that these field markings are of human origin before we jump to any firm conclusion that they have formed through the actions of strange (natural) vortices or have been made by an extraterrestrial intelligence, etc.

(see also: Affirming the consequent, verification, confirmation, viability, theory (scientific), explanatory power, null hypothesis, viability, verification, science, scientific approach, scientific methodology, pseudo-science, systematic evidence, evolution, anecdotal evidence, (conceptual) models, operational definition, critical thinking, falsifiability, testability, possibilities, bare)

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